[Nick can be very black-and-white with his methods sometimes... but he's also got as human a heart as they come. He knows folks can change, can make mistakes. Wanting to talk about it at all is a good sign, and he should be more understanding, even with all that's on his mind lately.]
「It's not only the fact of what he wants to discuss with him, but that he's going to meet him for the first time what makes Atem hurry to the headquarters. About fifteen minutes or so later, he and his obnoxious hair make it through the door. He should have been here, helping with the construction in some way, but since he got busy with other... stuff, it might be the first time he's found himself in the new location of the Guard.
He looks around, expecting to see Nick at any second.」
[Atem's hair is odd, but nothing too surprising to Nick, given the kid has shown himself on the network a time or two. Nick himself tends to stick to voice and text only, so Atem might not realize exactly who he's looking for when he walks through the door... or what he's looking for, rather. In good news, there aren't many others at that hour in the building: it's mostly just Nick for now, trying to get things in order so the organization can be running at full speed as soon as possible. Moving things from the rubble of the old building, deciding what to keep and what to trash while the new one is under construction -- it all takes time and manpower, and they've been lacking on the latter for some time now.
But he's helping head this operation now, and he's going to make sure things run as smooth as they can. Not an easy task in Hadriel, but someone has to do it. If nothing else, the job keeps him occupied, moving. Better than than to rust away worrying about how much of a leader a synth like him could even be.
He glances over his shoulder as he hears the door open, and steps out of the room in the back that he's turned into his late-night office, his eyes aglow in the dim light.]
「Atem, not expecting to find anything extraordinary or out of common when meeting Nick for the first time, freezes for a moment when this person speaks to him. By the question he makes and the voice, it's obvious it is Nick.
It's not like he's used to this, but he's seen some things before, even back home, and while he does keep a curious stare on him (with both normal eyes thanks the Gods), he decides not to dwell on it for long.」
[If Nick is affected by the look Atem gives him or the curious stare, he doesn't make mention of it, nor does he mention his eyes just yet. Atem came here to talk, so Nick is going to let him talk.]
[That's about how Nick knows a lot of people in Hadriel, sadly -- no real connection with them, just putting names and faces together over the network through surveillance. He'd get out there and get to know more people, but the city doesn't give him all the time he needs for that -- not when the gods and the Null are constantly throwing new obstacles their way.]
From what he told me, there is something inside his head that that demands him to kill other killers... He said he has the final word over it, but that he can't guarantee it will not happen again. That's why I wanted to tell you. I offered my help but...
「He doesn't know if he didn't want it because he didn't care to change or if he was too scared to even try. Even after deciding not to follow through, it's not like he cannot forget about it.」
[Can't make him drink though, and you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Still, that does present a problem. The city has had its fair share of murderers before, and it's always a tricky subject, given that the dead don't stay dead and there's no real law or police force in town, despite what folks may say about the Guard themselves. However, they have a job to do, and that's to protect the residents of the city. Nick would prefer to do that even if it's from each other, but not everyone sees it that way.
Getting everyone to see eye-to-eye is likely the hardest challenge they'll ever face, and one that's nigh impossible when you've got people coming in from all kinds of worlds. Even if they could get remotely on the same page, that'd help.
Those are thoughts for another time, though.]
All we can really do for now is keep a closer eye on him, see that he doesn't do it again. And if he looks like he's going to, step in to keep it from happening.
「He's been learning that one the hard way. He does wonder, if there is something else he could do and still help people in some way, since it's crushing his spirit that people don't want to be helped, at least not in such personal way. He might be understanding now why Lance does things the way he does. But he cannot simply stay around and do nothing. It's not in his nature to be but a spectator, he never was when alive, and now, it's all he's got left. Or so is how he sees it.」
Unfortunately, I cannot step in anymore.
「Just another reason why he's telling someone from the Guard.」
「He really doesn't, but context might be good here. He seems to take some air in even before starting. It's a long tale, going by parts doesn't help anyone understand.」
What you saw on the network was me, trying to do the job I used to do a few millennia ago. But here things are obviously different. Back then, I had people with me... guiding me, advising me... I wasn't alone trying to do my will, like... I was here.
「At least he can see that now.」
Back then we also had some magical artifacts, that... helped with the job, you could say. The thing, the Eye I was wearing helped me channel magic and, do other stuff. But as you can see I'm not wearing it anymore, and... I will not do it again. 「Hopefully.」 So, I'm pretty much useless now.
「Ouch, he meant normal, but, heh, it doesn't change the truth. Some peace of mind in exchange for a reality check. That's how things are.」
[Nick seems to accept that explanation for the time being, his expression softening just a hair, tension easing out of his brow as he pushes a sigh through him. He knows a thing or two about regrets, about things being different years and years ago... and about feeling useless when surrounded by people with all kinds of fantastic abilities, ones folks in his world could only dream of.]
If it took some kind of hocus pocus to accomplish anything of value, a lot of us wouldn't be here at all, myself included. Both magic and machines can do a hell of a lot more harm than good in the wrong hands.
[And when Atem was acting like his will was the end-all-be-all, making vague threats out in the open? Yeah, those were the wrong hands. Nick's tone remains even as he continues.]
But if you ask me... you're better off now. You're not useless, and not as alone as you might think.
[And he never was -- none of them are. People in Hadriel might not always see eye-to-eye, but they're in this boat together whether they like it or not.]
「There is something absolutely fascinating about being able to read Nick's semblance just as he does with other people. Atem is still not sure of what he is, but the way he speaks and moves, he feels there is something else going on under the layers of metal and synthetic skin. It is a bit of a shame that he is no longer wearing he Eye because if there is a soul inside Nick, it would have been so easy to see it with it. But he made a choice and will stick to it. He might not be king here, but he will carry his word with the very same honor.
While he knows what Nick means, about not being alone, it's a little hard to believe. But wouldn't he be one huge hypocrite if he didn't do as he preached? After all, wasn't he the first one to jump at people and plead them to go show exactly that to Rey, that she wasn't alone? He cannot explain the solitude he feels, however, from having lost his other soul before arriving to Hadriel, that he's been away from home for so long, but he will not explain, his solitude is no different from others' after all.
As of being useless... well...」
There isn't much demand for ancient kings around here, Nick.
「There was a time, not too long ago that he thought he had been brought back to protect his friends, and back then it had been true, but without a Millennium Item, he's nothing, just a old soul inside a fragile vessel.」
[Nick might be physically manufactured, but there are several who would attest to the humanity that lies just beneath his synthetic skin. He'd attribute that to the real Nick Valentine's memories that are burned into hardware, behaviors and morals of a man long dead living on through an artificial copy; others would say he's more than just a facsimile, having become his own person through his experiences. Either way, the lopsided smile he offers Atem is genuine.]
Not much demand for detectives either, but I keep busy. You can, too.
[There's always someone in need of help, after all.]
「He appreciates it anyway, replying in kind, whether he's not sure but a learned response from a very advanced AI. But at the moment Nick mentions that, Atem's face brightens some.」
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 01:12 am (UTC)youre not... avoiding me are you?
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 01:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 01:18 am (UTC)thats... part of what i wanna talk with you if possible
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 01:26 am (UTC)All right. I'm at the headquarters right now.
action.
Date: 2018-01-15 02:39 am (UTC)「It's not only the fact of what he wants to discuss with him, but that he's going to meet him for the first time what makes Atem hurry to the headquarters. About fifteen minutes or so later, he and his obnoxious hair make it through the door. He should have been here, helping with the construction in some way, but since he got busy with other... stuff, it might be the first time he's found himself in the new location of the Guard.
He looks around, expecting to see Nick at any second.」
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 02:59 am (UTC)But he's helping head this operation now, and he's going to make sure things run as smooth as they can. Not an easy task in Hadriel, but someone has to do it. If nothing else, the job keeps him occupied, moving. Better than than to rust away worrying about how much of a leader a synth like him could even be.
He glances over his shoulder as he hears the door open, and steps out of the room in the back that he's turned into his late-night office, his eyes aglow in the dim light.]
You wanted to talk?
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 03:47 am (UTC)It's not like he's used to this, but he's seen some things before, even back home, and while he does keep a curious stare on him (with both normal eyes thanks the Gods), he decides not to dwell on it for long.」
... Yeah. Hmm... It's about Yukari's murderer.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 03:54 am (UTC)I'm listening.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 03:57 am (UTC)It was Michael. Do you know him?
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 04:03 am (UTC)[That's about how Nick knows a lot of people in Hadriel, sadly -- no real connection with them, just putting names and faces together over the network through surveillance. He'd get out there and get to know more people, but the city doesn't give him all the time he needs for that -- not when the gods and the Null are constantly throwing new obstacles their way.]
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 04:07 am (UTC)「He admits, ashamed of himself that he made so much fuzz just to not go through what he intended.」
But that's not all, I felt that I should let someone know that he might do it again. Probably not entirely his fault but...
「Sigh, this is complicated.」
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 04:09 am (UTC)Someone making him kill people?
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 04:55 am (UTC)「He doesn't know if he didn't want it because he didn't care to change or if he was too scared to even try. Even after deciding not to follow through, it's not like he cannot forget about it.」
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 07:08 am (UTC)[Can't make him drink though, and you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Still, that does present a problem. The city has had its fair share of murderers before, and it's always a tricky subject, given that the dead don't stay dead and there's no real law or police force in town, despite what folks may say about the Guard themselves. However, they have a job to do, and that's to protect the residents of the city. Nick would prefer to do that even if it's from each other, but not everyone sees it that way.
Getting everyone to see eye-to-eye is likely the hardest challenge they'll ever face, and one that's nigh impossible when you've got people coming in from all kinds of worlds. Even if they could get remotely on the same page, that'd help.
Those are thoughts for another time, though.]
All we can really do for now is keep a closer eye on him, see that he doesn't do it again. And if he looks like he's going to, step in to keep it from happening.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 07:32 am (UTC)Unfortunately, I cannot step in anymore.
「Just another reason why he's telling someone from the Guard.」
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 08:53 am (UTC)[Nick has an inkling why Atem might be backing off, though. Just a hunch.]
no subject
Date: 2018-01-15 10:28 pm (UTC)「He's not sure if Nick wants the whole story anyway.」
My time has passed anyway.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-16 12:10 am (UTC)You wanna elaborate on that?
[Apparently, yes, he does want the whole story.]
no subject
Date: 2018-01-16 11:33 pm (UTC)What you saw on the network was me, trying to do the job I used to do a few millennia ago. But here things are obviously different. Back then, I had people with me... guiding me, advising me... I wasn't alone trying to do my will, like... I was here.
「At least he can see that now.」
Back then we also had some magical artifacts, that... helped with the job, you could say. The thing, the Eye I was wearing helped me channel magic and, do other stuff. But as you can see I'm not wearing it anymore, and... I will not do it again. 「Hopefully.」 So, I'm pretty much useless now.
「Ouch, he meant normal, but, heh, it doesn't change the truth. Some peace of mind in exchange for a reality check. That's how things are.」
no subject
Date: 2018-01-18 08:50 am (UTC)If it took some kind of hocus pocus to accomplish anything of value, a lot of us wouldn't be here at all, myself included. Both magic and machines can do a hell of a lot more harm than good in the wrong hands.
[And when Atem was acting like his will was the end-all-be-all, making vague threats out in the open? Yeah, those were the wrong hands. Nick's tone remains even as he continues.]
But if you ask me... you're better off now. You're not useless, and not as alone as you might think.
[And he never was -- none of them are. People in Hadriel might not always see eye-to-eye, but they're in this boat together whether they like it or not.]
no subject
Date: 2018-01-18 07:23 pm (UTC)While he knows what Nick means, about not being alone, it's a little hard to believe. But wouldn't he be one huge hypocrite if he didn't do as he preached? After all, wasn't he the first one to jump at people and plead them to go show exactly that to Rey, that she wasn't alone? He cannot explain the solitude he feels, however, from having lost his other soul before arriving to Hadriel, that he's been away from home for so long, but he will not explain, his solitude is no different from others' after all.
As of being useless... well...」
There isn't much demand for ancient kings around here, Nick.
「There was a time, not too long ago that he thought he had been brought back to protect his friends, and back then it had been true, but without a Millennium Item, he's nothing, just a old soul inside a fragile vessel.」
no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 09:15 am (UTC)Not much demand for detectives either, but I keep busy. You can, too.
[There's always someone in need of help, after all.]
no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 02:42 pm (UTC)Like Sherlock Holmes?
no subject
Date: 2018-01-23 12:02 am (UTC)Something like that, save for the part where I'm filled with gears and gizmos.
[Neither of them is technically real, either.]
no subject
Date: 2018-01-23 03:21 am (UTC)Like what, laser eyes?
「Look, he's still that kid that probably read a lot of manga. Again, blame his host.」
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: